Welcome to Music Theory: Level 1! Follow this curriculum in order from top to bottom, making sure to take advantage of the downloadable resources included where relevant. While it’s important to have a basic understanding of each concept after you learn about it, you can feel free to move on to the next lesson before you’re 100% confident in the material–it all tends to internalize as you progress. If you’d like tips on creating a practice schedule from the information you learn, click here. Enjoy, and good luck!

Scales

• INTRODUCTION TO THE CHROMATIC SCALE

• THE CHROMATIC SCALE PLAYING EXAMPLE

• USING CHROMATIC NOTES EFFECTIVELY

• INTRODUCTION TO THE MAJOR SCALE

• THE MAJOR SCALE - THREE NOTES PER STRING

• THE MAJOR SCALE PLAYING EXAMPLES

• LEARNING THE DIATONIC CHORDS OF THE MAJOR SCALE

• DETERMINING WHICH MODE TO USE OVER WHAT CHORD

• HOW THE MODES APPLY TO CHORDS

• WHY THREE NOTE PER STRING PATTERNS ARE GREAT

• LYDIAN LICKS TO INSPIRE YOU

Triads

• CONSTRUCTING A MAJOR TRIAD

• UNDERSTANDING THE TRIAD STUDY MATERIALS

• CONSTRUCTING A MINOR TRIAD

• CONSTRUCTING AN AUGMENTED TRIAD

• CONSTRUCTING A DIMINISHED TRIAD

• IMPLEMENTING TRIADS EFFECTIVELY

• THE FOUR PHASES OF IMPLEMENTING TRIADS

• IMPROVISING WITH MAJOR AND MINOR TRIADS

• IMPROVISING WITH AUGMENTED AND DIMINISHED TRIADS

Four-Part Chords

• UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE OF CHORDS

• THE CHORD THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING

• THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

Arpeggios

• INTRODUCTION TO ARPEGGIOS WITH PLAYING EXAMPLES

• ROOT POSITION TRIAD AND FOUR-PART ARPEGGIO EXERCISES

• THE MOST EPIC GUITAR ARPEGGIO

Tips & Essentials

• EAR TRAINING STRATEGY FOR GUITAR PLAYERS

• EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GUITAR SOLOS IN ONE WORD

• THE THREE PILLARS OF IMPROVISATION

• INSTANTLY MEMORIZE ANY INTERVAL IN MUSIC

• FOUR WAYS TO VISUALIZE THE FRETBOARD

• THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MODE AND A SCALE

• HOW TO FIND THE MODES AND THEIR DIATONIC CHORDS

• ACCIDENTAL INSPIRATION

• SIGHT READING FOR GUITARISTS

• HOW TO READ LEAD SHEETS